ODIHR co-organizes workshop on combating hate crimes against disabled people

Combating hate-motivated crimes against people with disabilities by improving the monitoring and reporting of such incidents was the focus of a workshop in Dublin on 24 May 2012, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the European Network of Independent Living (ENIL).

The workshop, attended by 20 representatives of civil society organizations working with people with disabilities across the OSCE region, provided participants with an insight into instruments for recognizing hate crimes and the importance of further disseminating the data and information they collect on these incidents.

“Data on hate crimes against people with disabilities is very limited, since it can be difficult for disabled people to report them,” said Floriane Hohenberg, the Head of the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department at ODIHR. “Civil society organizations advocating for the rights of people with disabilities are not always aware of hate-motivated incidents and crimes, or of how to respond to them.”

During the workshop, participants shared their experiences and were presented with the tools developed by ODIHR to assist civil society in combating hate crimes, such as Preventing and Responding to Hate Crimes: A Resource Guide for NGOs in the OSCE Region and the Annual Report on Hate Crime – Incidents and Responses, which highlights the prevalence of hate crimes and good practices that participating States and civil society have adopted to tackle them.

“People with disabilities are often victims of attacks and violence because of prejudice and bias,” said Jamie Bolling, the Executive Director of ENIL. “By participating in this workshop, ENIL has a stronger understanding of the tools, legislation and responses to combat hate crimes against people with disabilities.”

The workshop was the first event organized by ODIHR to specifically address combating hate-motivated crimes and incidents against people with disabilities.